The Questionable Boyd
by VelvetWriter
Summary: Was it a simple mistake that Boyd ended up ruining Sam's cover or was what happened something else entirely?  Boyd gets questioned
1. Prologue

**Prologue**  
><strong>Adele – Set Fire To The Rain<strong>  
>You make a mistake in the streets and it can mean a bullet in someone's head. As someone who did undercover work on a daily basis, I knew the importance of doing everything you could to make sure you did your best to prepare an undercover assignment. If something happened, you never wanted it to be cause of you. I learned that from the best – Mr. Donovan Boyd.<p>

_I let it fall, my heart,_  
><em>And as it fell, you rose to claim it<em>  
><em>It was dark and I was over<em>  
><em>Until you kissed my lips and you saved me<em>

I sat huddled in my jacket as I waited for him to leave the station. My cover was shot already but I still kept up the pretense of a mangy recovering junkie stripper. In white stilettos and a miniscule black mini skirt, I had raised more than one eyebrow from my seat on the bench outside the police station. I ignored them, knowing what they were thinking as I rubbed my hands together to keep warm. I was one of them whether they knew it or not and I wasn't going to leave till I knew the truth about tonight.

_My hands, they're strong_  
><em>But my knees were far too weak<em>  
><em>To stand in your arms<em>  
><em>Without falling to your feet<em>

When I was first introduced to Donovan Boyd, head of the Guns and Gangs department, I was in shock at the notion he thought I was good enough which I stupidly blurted out to him. His eyes narrowed before he informed me what he really thought: he saw me as a fresh face and it was up to me to prove I could cut it in the big leagues. Show him I did. The more I impressed him, the more work I received. The more work meant the more cut off I was from those around me. I loved my job but as the years flew by, more and more the people I counted as friends blurred together as the criminals and victims of the streets. Donovan was the one constant in my life and kept me from going over the edge. He always told me what I wanted to hear, made me feel what I needed to feel to keep going. I never doubted. Truthfully, I always thought after each op that this time he'll ask me to take a break. Not for me, but for him. How could he not feel what I felt? I really thought once this was done, it would be time for him to say those words to me.

_But there's a side to you_  
><em>That I never knew, never knew.<em>  
><em>All the things you'd say<em>  
><em>They were never true, never true,<em>  
><em>And the games you play<em>  
><em>You would always win, always win.<em>

The street whispers secrets if you listen hard enough. I doubted the arresting officers had time to book the bastard who dared nab another cop before the streets heated up with the news. No one knew the cop's name but they all knew who it was who got nabbed – Jamie Brennan. Jamie fucking Brennan. I hadn't been in on the case, but there was only one person Boyd would send for someone as tough as him. Swarek. So I listened at the club of the Mackenzie crime family, turning colder by the second as I wondered if it could be true - if the reason for Sam's cover going to hell was some stupid mistake or something much more.

I didn't want to believe it. I wanted to go back on stage and dance my fake recovering junkie heart out. I couldn't. Not only was it not smart with everyone in panic mode, I had to talk to Boyd. I had to know the truth.

_But I set fire to the rain,_  
><em>Watched it pour as I touched your face,<em>  
><em>Well, it burned while I cried<em>  
><em>'Cause I heard it screaming out your name, your name<em>

He finally came out and my heart quickened at the sight of his curly hair. He couldn't have done it. It had to be a mistake. An error. A slip up. He's not a super hero. It happens. How could he do something like this on purpose? He was the one always caring for me after a hard job, picking up my pieces. He made sure I never got sucked too far in. Who else cared for me as much as he did? And he did care for me, right? I wasn't just there to help him succeed. Right?

I stood, ignoring the officers exiting behind him. "Boyd!" I called out.

His head jerked up, his eyes wide in shook. He frowned, hurrying to my side.

"What the hell are you doing here? You are going to ruin your cover!" he declared, pulling me towards a nearby alley.

"It's not true, right? You didn't know?"

Once inside the safe dark alley, he leaned closer, tucking a stray bleached blonde hair behind my ear. "You shouldn't be here, Parker. You know the rules."

_When I lay with you_  
><em>I could stay there<em>  
><em>Close my eyes<em>  
><em>Feel you're here forever<em>  
><em>You and me together<em>  
><em>Nothing gets better<em>

My heart pounded. This time it wasn't because of his closeness. "Please, Boyd. Please, you didn't know. You didn't send him there knowing."

He groaned. "What are you talking about? I have been yelled at over and over again tonight, I don't need you here ruining the op we have had you under for over five months just to ask me cryptic questions."

"The cop? The one who got hurt? Was it Sam?"

Boyd nodded. "He's okay, Parker. You don't have to worry about it."

"You aren't why he got made. Right?"

_'Cause there's a side to you_  
><em>That I never knew, never knew,<em>  
><em>All the things you'd say,<em>  
><em>They were never true, never true,<em>  
><em>And the games you play<em>  
><em>You would always win, always win.<em>

He frowned. "What? Of course not. It was a rookie. She went to screw him and Brennan came over. I'm sure he spotted her as a cop from the moment he laid eyes on her."

My heart plummeted. Please, no. He couldn't be lying. "What about the boat?"

His brows furrowed together. "What boat? Swarek's boat for the op? What about it?"

I closed my eyes, refusing to give in. I wanted to run and hide. To leave the questions unasked. If I didn't know, I could still crawl under my covers believing he was the man I wanted him to be. He would be there to catch me when I fell.

_But I set fire to the rain,_  
><em>Watched it pour as I touched your face,<em>  
><em>Well, it burned while I cried<em>  
><em>'Cause I heard it screaming out your name, your name<em>

My voice was quiet but firm. "The boat. That's what got him made. The streets are filled with the news at how dumb the coppers are for using a boat linked to a well-known trafficker of this area."

Boyd's jaw clenched. "That's not why it went down."

I let out a breath. "Jesus, you can't even admit it. I know you wanted Brennan, but you didn't do it like this on purpose. It was a mistake?"

_I set fire to the rain_  
><em>And I threw us into the flames<em>  
><em>Well, it felt something died<em>  
><em>'Cause I knew that that was the last time, the last time<em>

He backed away from me, throwing his hands into the air. "What is the obsession with the boat? I told you, he didn't get made because of it. The boat was used by a criminal previously nabbed but that had nothing to do with Sammy getting caught."

My heart broke into a thousand pieces. If only he would admit he messed up. Like I said, mistakes happen. You don't want to make them, but if you do, you own them. Boyd told me that my first day undercover for him. If he had nothing to hide, why wouldn't he admit the real reason?

_Sometimes I wake up by the door,_  
><em>That heart you caught, must be waiting for you<em>  
><em>Even now when we're already over<em>  
><em>I can't help myself from looking for you.<em>

I stared at him, my sadness and anger mixing together till I felt nothing. "You figured if you couldn't get him on past murders, you'd get him taking out a cop?" He started to reply but I kept on going. "It sounds crazy to me. I mean, ludicrous. So **tell** me I'm wrong. Tell me why you won't admit you fucked up." My voice began to rise. "You fucked up royally with the boat! How could you do that? You are supposed to keep us safe," I accused.

_I set fire to the rain,_  
><em>Watch it pour as I touch your face,<em>  
><em>Well, it burned while I cried<em>  
><em>'Cause I heard it screaming out your name, your name<em>

"Listen Parker, my day has been crap. Now instead of one undercover op going to hell, you come running here like the scared little rabbit you are ruining my second one. What do you think is going to happen with the Mackenzie's when you are off grid? Think they won't miss you? You're burned." He rubbed his forehead. "You're worse than that rookie. You should know better."

I stared at him, unseeing. "Sam's my friend."

Boyd laughed coldly. "You don't have friends – except for me. Isn't that what you always tell me? Here I thought you had my back. But you couldn't wait to come running to throw me to the wolves."

_I set fire to the rain,_  
><em>And I threw us into the flames<em>  
><em>Well, it felt something died<em>  
><em>'Cause I knew that was the last time<em>  
><em>The last time, oh, oh!<em>

"No, Boyd, I was hoping to save you from it," I replied in my defense. "I came to help. When I heard the rumors, I knew it had to be a mistake. Either someone at the club got it wrong or you just hadn't known. But you lied. You lied to me. No reason to do that unless you are guilty." I closed my eyes, shaking my head. "I'm hoping for the best. I can't fathom why you would give Sam up like that. It makes no sense. Cause, if Brennan did snap on him and he wasn't caught in the act, you would have had a hell of a time to prove it." I opened my eyes, staring at him sadly. "My gut says you knew though. And if that's true, I hate you for it."

He closed the distance between us, cradling my face in his hands. "Sweetheart, it's not true. I would never-"

I stopped him. My emotions were gone and in place was the girl who had given up stability and security for a life of living undercover on the streets. She knew all about survival. "Don't lie. I can't go back. I don't trust you to cover me. Not now. Not when I know this."

His eyes widened. "You think I would hurt you? You must know how I feel."

I stepped away from him, pulling the head of my black sweatshirt up. "Don't, Boyd. Don't. You want me to trust you, tell me the truth. Tell me why."

"I am, dammit!" he angrily retorted, slamming his hand into the wall behind me.

"Then it's a stalemate. We'll talk again tomorrow. But as of tonight, I'm out."

I ignored his calls for me to come back, instead picking up my pace as I headed to a long forgotten bar.

_Let it burn_  
><em>Let it burn<em>  
><em>Let it burn<em> 


	2. Chapter One

**Chapter One**  
>A month later and I still hadn't adjusted to life outside of the undercover world. I had transferred from my old division into 15th – Sam and Andy McNally, the rookie he had gotten in trouble, were both still suspended from that division. That left open spots that needed to be filled. I took a street job and had no idea what I was doing with myself. My bleached hair was back to dark brown and I pretended a lot. I pretended I was happy and pleased. I pretended I fit in. I doubted anyone bought it.<p>

Most days after shift I ended up at the Penny – the bar for coppers. I would have gone some place less popular but I was still newly off the streets. I felt at home in the dives and I couldn't go back to them anytime soon till people forgot about me.

I wasn't surprised to see Sam's scowling face in a corner booth. I ordered two Whiskey's before settling in across from him. I had one friend now. He was it.

Since he was my friend, I didn't mention he had seen better days. I didn't mention that he was wearing the same outfit he wore the last three days in a row and he was starting to smell. Actually, I had to say something about the smell.

"You smell gross," I uttered, forgoing hello and getting straight to the point. "You need to man up."

Sam chuckled, lifting the drink and saluting me with it. "Hello to you to, Sunshine. What brings your menacing face to my side?"

"Can it, Sam. You'll never change anything smelling like a dish rag."

The smile remained on his face, but it was an attempt to hide the pain. "Don't want to change anything, Parker. I like my life the way it is."

I rolled my eyes. "She's a moron and yes, we are going to have this conversation again. I don't understand how everyone else just pretends the elephant in the room doesn't exist. I do that with crooks. Not friends."

Sam sighed, shaking his head. "This is why you don't have friends."

"I've made you my friend." He didn't refute the statement so I hurdled on. "You need to concentrate on getting re-instated. Isn't that her plan? Once you aren't suspended-"

He interrupted me. "Once we're not suspended, we still will have to break rules to be together. She's told me more than once she doesn't want to lose her job. She wants to be a cop. I'm letting her do that."

I stared at him in disbelief. "Seriously, this has gone on for too long. The two of you have to stop pretending you are going to get over the other. You moon around over her and alienate everyone with your caustic wit whenever they even try to help you out regarding this." I lifted my hand up as he opened his mouth. "Don't bother interrupting me. I'm saying this yet again. You are miserable. She is equally miserable. Anytime I do see her she is at the gym beating up on some poor punching bag. Or she's here pretending not to drool over you."

"So," he drawled, his face giving away nothing.

"So?" I rolled my eyes. "So. Okay, let's move on to your good days. The days you pretend everything is the same as before but those days are followed by your bad days of non-washed clothes. The good days, with the last one being I don't know three days ago which is probably when you last changed, well those good days both of you happy and keep away from the other so you're not suspicious. You give each other secret smiles and pretend to still be at arm's length of each other."

His left eye twitched. "Can it, Parker. We're only friends."

"No, you're not. You can pretend all you want but you can never be just friends. If you two were just friends, she wouldn't hate the sight of me."

This made Sam let out a bark of laughter. "What? She doesn't hate you."

I smirked. "She does. I'm your buddy _and _I told Tracy I thought I wanted to sleep with you."

Unfortunately the statement caught him by surprise. The Whiskey spewed all over the table. "What?" he exclaimed. "You're nothing but trouble, kid."

I grabbed a napkin, cleaning up the mess. "Never said I wasn't. But I think getting her jealous is a good thing. Don't worry, this thing I have for you is all unrequited as I made sure to tell Tracy. It's good for your girl to think she has competition. Make her buck up and realize there are some rules you can bend."

He eyed me nervously. "You don't really, well-"

I wrinkled my nose. "That's like thinking dirty thoughts about my brother, if I had a brother. A big no. But she doesn't know that. She sees me as this hot chick trying for her man."

I lifted my drink in salute. "Speaking of your girl, she just arrived and is coming this way. She looks pretty pissy."

Sam looked up and even my heart had to melt at the intense look he gave Andy as she walked our way. The irritation on her face quickly disappeared. She stood at our table, tucking her hair behind her ears.  
>"Hey," she said softly, ignoring me.<p>

"Hey," he replied.

"Hey," I added brightly. I loved playing matchmaker. "Want to join us Andy? Sam and I were talking about this restaurant we both wanted to try. The new Italian place? You should come too. It will be fun."

She looked at me startled, before the look was gone. "I wouldn't want to impose."

Sam glared at me. "You could never do that," he said softly, his gaze back on her.

I grinned cheekily. "Of course you should join us! Sammy and I would love it if you came."

Sam again turned to glare at me. "Watch it, Parker." He turned back to Andy. "Ignore her. She goes crazy when she's not out in the field. Plus, she doesn't have friends and thinks interfering in the lives of people she knows will make her endearing."

I wrinkled my nose in disgust. "I don't want to be endearing. I aim to be the crazy old woman you are forced to invite over for the holidays 'cause she helped you out when you were acting like an idiot and stopped washing your clothes."

I got up, motioning to my seat. "I'm going to get another round. Why don't you join us, Andy? What are you drinking?"

She shook her head, motioning to two other officers at 15th division. Chris Diaz and Dov Epstein. Decent cops for rookies. "I'm with my friends."

"I'm not that scary. They'll join us."

After practically pushing her into the seat, I crossed the room to Chris and Dov. Dov's eyes widened as he saw me approach. I may have been a little hard on him the last time we rode together. It wasn't my fault though. It had been a bad day.

"Hey," I said, forcing myself to smile. I had trouble with other cops since I had trouble trusting people period. "Andy wants you guys to come join Sam and me at our table." I stuffed my hands into my jean pockets. Again, I liked crooks better. Playing a part was so much easier than trying to be me. "So, come join us." They continued to look at me. "Please?" I added on.

Chris seemed to take pity on me. He was too nice of a guy to let me continue to stand there like an idiot. "Yeah, sure. Of course we'll join you guys."

Dov on the other hand wasn't so accommodating. "Won't that be awkward? You, Andy and Sam? I don't want a part in that love triangle."

"I don't know what you are talking about. First round is on me."

Dov shrugged. "Fine with me then."

I headed to the bar for the drinks. Surprisingly Chris came with me.

"Someone has to help you carry the drinks," he said, answering my unasked question with a sweet grin. As we waited to be served, he leaned closer. "Andy's my friend. A good friend."

I looked back at the unassuming man. I arched an eyebrow, noting the steel in his eyes. There was more to him than the by-the-book man he portrayed. "Good to know."

I turned back to the bar, but his grip on my arm had me turning to look into his frosty blue eyes. "I'm saying this once. She's been through a lot lately. She doesn't need you messing up well, messing up whatever."

I invaded his space, my greens eyes lighting up at his antagonistic tone. I had missed my fighting with Boyd. The arguments fueled me to do the best I could. For now I would settle for sparring words with the rookie. "What exactly are you implying, Diaz?" Then I remembered this wasn't the me I was pretending to be. I was playing by the rules now. I smiled my "aren't I pretty and dumb" smile and took a step back. "If you are trying to say something about Sam and me, there is nothing going on between the two of us. We're just friends."

Chris frowned. "I hope that's true."

I rolled my eyes. "Relax. I'm not trying to make waves here."

"And if she was, you'd certainly know it." I slowly turned to my left, taking in Boyd's tired blue eyes, his scruffy beard and most importantly him. I didn't want to feel anything but anger and distrust. Damn emotions. "Parker. You look good."

"Humph," I grunted, abruptly turning from him. I smacked my hand on the bar. "What the hell does it take to get drinks around here! Come on, barkeep, pick it up!"

Boyd pushed his way beside me, leaning against the bar to stare at me. "Settle down, Gabby. It's not the bartender's fault I'm here."

"Sam will be pissed when he sees you," I retorted. "And don't call me Gabby."

He moved closer, dipping his head down so only I would hear what he had to say. Instinctively, I leaned closer as nonchalantly as I could. It was as if I was undercover again, waiting for his instructions on what to do next. "Parker, I need your help with something. It's big. Really big."

My heart pounded. A job. It's what I lived for. "Boyd, I can't." I stared into his closed off expression. "Not without knowing what happened. I just, I just can't."

He looked away as I ordered the drinks from the bartender. He paid for the order before I had time to react. "I know. I'll tell you what you need to know but not now. It's big." He cleared his throat. "If you're interested, come to my place."

He started to leave but I couldn't just let him go. I grabbed his arm. "You should talk to him. He needs to know why as well. Especially now."

Boyd frowned. "Don't push, Parker. And stop flirting with Sam. You're driving McNally crazy."

I snorted. "I'm attempting to fix them so they can get over their issues and get together." I arched an eyebrow, slowly smirking. Again, all the problems were fading from my mind. I could only remember the good times and not what brought us here in the first place. "Are you jealous, Donnie?"

"Can it, Parker. I shouldn't have bothered you."

I moved closer. "I'll be there. Give me an hour."

He nodded, before hurrying away. I stared after him, unsure of what secrets he would tell me. But I had to know.


	3. Chapter Two

Thanks to all who have reviewed! I appreciate it - it's also nice to know others are interested in what exactly Boyd was thinking besides me.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Two<strong>

The next hour flew by. If Sam had noticed Boyd, he didn't mention him. Then again, he was too consumed with Andy to notice anything else. The two once again pretended they weren't ogling the other before disappearing a few minutes apart. I'm sure they were both going home separately as they claimed. For a man who was great at undercover work, Sam sure sucked at hiding his thing with Andy. I needed to smack some sense in him.

Now I was standing outside Boyd's house about to talk with the other man I needed to smack some sense into. God, why was I even here? He didn't deserve it. He had his chance to tell me what exactly was going on with him. Instead he kept his mouth shut and kept it shut till now. Plus, it wasn't as if our past was anything important. We always had been professional with each other, nothing more. While I had thought the world of him, this past month made me realize, it was always one way. He never acted inappropriate and was always just my boss. If anything I was the one out of line. How many times had I come to him when I was upset? I was the one doing unexpected drop-ins. Even when he had been dating the lawyer Carol, I still would come to him to solve my problems at all hours of the night.

Yet here I was again with one exception - this time he asked me to come by. I stood in front of the door, biting my lower lip as I pulled the zipper of my black leather jacket nervously up and down. I had stood outside this door many times but this was different.

I finally summoned up my courage and knocked on the door. I shouldn't have had that last shot with Dov. If I hadn't, I would have been smart enough to return to my own apartment.

The door swung open

"Come on in," he said, opening the door wide.

I slipped past him, my nervousness increasing with each passing moment of silence. I looked everywhere but at him. For some reason, I felt strange being here with him after all that was said.

"Why the hell are you so quiet?" I frowned, turning from my examination of the hardwood floors to his smirking face. "Not that it isn't a welcome relief. This is just the first time you've ever not given me a piece of your mind the moment you walk into my place."

"I need a drink," came my icy reply. I didn't wait for his response, instead heading to the back of his home and his large kitchen. I grabbed a Belgian beer and leaned against his counter, watching him carefully as he leaned against the open doorway. "So, what's the big problem you need help with?" I arched an eyebrow. "What your other buddies at Guns and Gangs can't help?"

Instead of the joking response I expected, he nodded solemnly. "I don't trust them. You, for all the insanity you bring to my life and for all of your messes, you I trust."

I put down the beer, crossing my arms over my chest. "Yeah, I'm trustworthy. I can't say the same for you."

He winced. "Come on, Gabs, besides this, have I ever let you down?"

I threw up my hands. "That's the whole point! Why the hell do you think I'm so pissed? You're a good cop. You were never one I thought would get dirty. And then to top it all off, throwing Swarek under the bus? I thought I was going to have to go buy you matching towels with the way you went on about how amazing an undercover operative he was."

Boyd's grin didn't reach his eyes. "I proposed but he's in love with McNally."

I huffed in contempt. "Don't. This is too big for stuff like that."

He sighed, crossing to sit at the dining room table at the opposite end of the room. I grabbed my beer and followed, wanting to be able to watch his face to make sure he didn't try to pull one over on me. I wouldn't let him get away with it again.

"I didn't mean for any of it to happen, you know. I know Sam thinks it's my fault, but I've been trying to help him. Like I said, this is big and I don't have any proof to back up any of this." I just stared back at him, waiting. "When I heard about the Brennan car crash, I was pissed. First off, cause it brought back memories of the asshole who got away. He didn't deserve his family but more importantly, it was because of his past they died. Spin it however you want, the mess in the end was his fault." He ran his hand through his hair. "When I heard about the case, I stupidly got involved. At first I thought maybe Brennan was the reason behind the crash. Maybe he got sick of being a family guy but I knew it wasn't right. Wishful thinking on my part." He sighed. "I ended up spouting off on it to one of my superiors, Inspector Curtis Frederick. I was pissed and told him how I wanted to nab him for something big. He gets his family killed, tortured and killed tons of people and just walks away without a scratch. Fuck, I was more than pissed," he exclaimed, the frustration evident on his face.

"Shit, Donnie," I said softly, an anxious pit settling in my stomach. Whatever he had to say, I didn't expect this. I hoped this wasn't going where I thought it was going.

"I don't know if the idea came from him or my anger, but the two of us decided to use the real killer as mole. Frederick told me if I got the inside scoop and began doing big busts, I'd get more resources. And he would help me get someone close to Brennan." He hung his head. "I made a mistake. I thought having the guy as my C.I. would make it right. It didn't. I wanted to come clean but it was too late." He looked up, his eyes snaring mine with their intensity and above all honesty. "I would never have let Sam go in if I thought for a second his cover would be compromised. I had no clue about the boat debacle. Not till it was too late."

"Frederick gave you the boat?" I asked softly.

"He set it up. Said it came from another American bust, a guy who didn't have any ties to here." He frowned. "I should have double checked. I just never thought, well I just fucked up." He reached for my beer, taking a swig before continuing. "When I found out Sam was missing, I started digging in. I found out about the boat and some other unsettling things. By then it was too late. I should have come clean and I would have, but this was more important than the fallout. It was more important than Sam being pissed."

I smiled sadly. "More important than me?"

He didn't meet my eyes. "To be honest, I was hoping you'd hear and think the worst of me. You'd get over your little crush and get out of the undercover scene which was exactly what happened. It was good news for me."

Luckily I was good at pretending. My expression didn't change, not that he was looking at me to notice. So he knew. All this time and he guessed. I shouldn't be surprised. He was very good at reading people - why not me? It's not as if I kept it hidden as well as I should.

"Such good news you couldn't wait to drag me into whatever it is you need my help with," I replied sarcastically. I took back my beer. "So what is it? Dirty Inspector? A whole slew of crooked cops?"

"Something like that," he replied softly.

I rubbed my forehead. "Just rip the Band-Aid off."

"From what I can tell, there is definitely a group of cops who are dirty. Frederick is high up. He's got the ear of superintendent Peck."

"You're telling me Peck is involved?" I asked incredulously.

Boyd shook his head. "I doubt it but who knows. He's high up."

I nodded. "And who else?" Boyd hesitated and then I knew. I knew why he needed me, why he could trust me with this and why I would help him. "He's involved, isn't he? My step-dad? That is why you need me. I can get close to Greg for you."

"I don't know if he is involved," he answered softly. "He hangs with the crowd I suspect."

My voice was cold. "What do you know?"

He leaned forward, his hand moving towards my own before he seemed to think better of it. "I know of a club. The meetings there are hush hush but Frederick told me that's where he got the boat from. He seems to be testing me but I can't get in. I haven't acted dirty enough, I guess. I was too pissed when Sam got made."

"And?" He kept quiet. "I need to know exactly what I'm getting into. You have to spill."

Boyd nodded. "I saw him talking to Leon Mackenzie. They would have wanted Brennan out of the way if they thought he would be encroaching on their turf."

"Leon's the brains and second in command." I pursed my lips. "Is that why you wanted me to walk away?"

Boyd ignored the question. "I have nothing but my gut on this. I don't know who is involved but it's not just one person here. If I tell the wrong people, if I'm lucky I'm just out of a job."

I sighed. "This is going to get messy. Tara-"

"Your mother," he interjected.

"Yes, Tara will kill me when she finds out about this. It won't matter if he's guilty. It will be my fault, as usual." I cleared my throat, chasing away those thoughts. "It doesn't matter. All that matters is the truth." I leaned forward. "You should tell Sam."

Boyd laughed. "Like that will go over well."

"You know you can trust him. And he's the one that got the crap beat out of him because of this." I leaned forward. "He'd help."

"He's suspended."

"Does that matter now? Perfect opening. Dissatisfied cop."

He rubbed the back of his neck. "I'll think about it." He stood up, getting himself a beer as well as another for me. "We can talk about the next step tomorrow."

"Why not now?" I gestured to his apartment. "This is probably the safest place to talk anyway. I'm assuming I make contact with Greg, talk about how I am pissed at my lack of income or promotional opportunities? Then hint I need another job to get the cash? Or do you need me to start on one of the suspects? Get them to wine and dine me and spill all they know in an attempt to impress me?"

"No wining and dining," Boyd grumbled. "You're not looking for a date. The first route. Then I thought you'd bring me in and I'd take over the investigation."

"Like hell. I do the grunt work and then watch from the sidelines? You know I'm a doer, Don."

With a big gulp he finished his beer. "Not with this. We'll work it slow, but you bring me in and then you're out. This is going to be dangerous. I'm not letting you put yourself in that spot for me."

I sighed. "Boyd, I'm a cop. If cops are dirty, I'm in it to take them down." I stood up. "I'll call my mom and go to dinner. I'll start getting back in."

"Thanks," he said quietly. He stood as well.

I smiled grimly. "You'll owe me. Getting close to my mom is going to hurt." I frowned. "I'm going to need a good reason for going."

"Come on, you never see your mom."

"Exactly! She'll know something's up. I have to have a reason. I suppose I could bring a date. Is that a reason women visit their family?"

"No. No dates." I rolled my eyes.

"I'll get Diaz. I don't think he can stand me but he's hot and seems like the kind of guy mother's love."

Boyd shook his head. "No way."

"It's a good idea!"

"No, I don't want you bringing him into this."

I laughed. "I wasn't planning on telling him anything. I'm sure I can get him to go on a date with me if I put my mind to it. I can be charming if I want to be."

Boyd again shook his head. "No, no dating him."

I cocked my head to the side, staring at him curiously. "What if I want to date him?"

Boyd glared at me. "Stop screwing around, Parker. This is serious."

I grinned. "For someone who hated my having a crush on him, you seem to miss my affection."

Boyd motioned to the door. "Like I said, that's enough for today."

"Hmm," I replied noncommittally. I followed him to the front door. He stopped, turning to face me. "I'll set up the dinner this week and let you know when I make contact."

"Sure," he said distractedly, his gaze on my lips. My heart once again was beginning to pound. He moved closer and closer till his hand was reaching up to tuck a loose stray hair behind my ear. Despite everything, I found myself leaning closer to him, with my eyes closing despite the steel around my heart. "Knew you still had that crush," he murmured huskily.

My eyes flew open as I took a step back. I smacked his arm with a huff. "You are a dick. And don't worry, I'll have a date for my mother's dinner by using my charming wit and other lovely attributes."

"Men aren't going to date you for your wit."

I smiled wickedly. "Hence my lovely attributes. Which are extremely curvy and something you will never get the pleasure of learning firsthand."

He looked as though he didn't know whether to laugh or argue some more. I took away his option with a wink and by opening the front door only to be surprised by a man walking up to it, a few seconds from knocking.

I looked to Boyd in surprise and noted his relaxed stance and friendly greeting – not to mention his hand disappearing into my hair to massage my neck. To anyone else, he looked fine and dandy. But I knew him too well to fall for that. Just great. Another complication. Who the hell was this guy?

Boyd moved closer, his lips close to my ear. "Follow my lead, Parker. And don't kick me in the balls."

"Marco! Perfect timing." He spun me around to face him, the false smile still on his lips. He seemed relaxed but the firm grip on my neck belied that belief. "Look as though I rocked your world, sweetheart," and with those words, his lips claimed mine for an intense yet abrupt passionate kiss. When he pulled away, I didn't have to pretend to be dazed. "Till next time, Gabs."

With a pat on the butt, I was out the door and Marco was leering at me as he followed Boyd back inside.

I was left wondering just what the hell happened and again, who the hell was Marco?


End file.
